Obama Rebuffs Israeli Hawk

[Purveyor]

There are very worrying signs about Israel and Iran, amid new threats from Israeli officials that they won't long tolerate Iran's nuclear program before they strike militarily. But, at the same time, there are reports that President Obama's national security team isn't buying the Israeli line that time is running out.

For instance, a top Israeli military official, in Washington, was not exactly given the red carpet treatment by Obama's top officials -- yet even so, he met Jim Jones, Obama's national security adviser, Hillary Clinton, and Dennis Ross.

The Israeli armed forces chief of staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, met yesterday with top US officials in Washington, including General James Jones, the national security adviser, and Dennis Ross, the State Department's special adviser on "the Gulf and Southwest Asia," and he warned that Israel is preparing for a military strike on Iran. According to Haaretz, the Israeli daily:

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi on Monday said that while Israel was interested in exhausting diplomatic options against Iran's nuclear program, the army must nevertheless prepare itself for a military attack. ...

During a visit to Washington, D.C., Ashkenazi met with Dennis Ross, the designated U.S. envoy to the Persian Gulf, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss the Iranian issue. The IDF chief told Ross that Israel would not tolerate a nuclear Iran. He said that a diplomatic approach to Iran's contentious nuclear program must be taken first, but said Israel must also prepare for other possibilities.

It's interesting that he met Ross, the hawkish former official of the pro-Israel thinktank, the Washington Institute for Near East Affairs, who's taken over the Iran file at the State Department.

MORE...

THE NATION: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/dreyfuss/418375/obama_rebuffs_israeli_hawk

[LakeSamish706]

1. My hope is that President Obama scuttles this plan real quick... The last thing this world...

needs is Israel attacking Iran. I truly believe that we would be in the midst of WW3 if this were to happen. Iran is not Iraq and would most certainly strike back.

[stillcool]

2. I wouldn't mind a bit if Israel..

fought their own wars. That would sure put a kibosh on the empire.

[LakeSamish706]

3. Yeah, but you know that isn't going to happen.... If Israel hits Iran the US will be into it...

cause I'm certain that Russia will be into it.

[napoleon_in_rags]

5. I feel you. I feel sometimes like the real problem is the gluing together of things.

Like we have to be glued to Israel whatever they do. Russia has to be glued to Iran. If your Jewish, you have to be glued not only to the nation of Israel itself, but to whatever their latest wacko right wing policies are or you are a self hating jew. The real problem here is not that something crazy with Iran and Israel might happen, its the fact that something crazy happening is glued to everybody else acting in such a way that it automatically means world war III. Like there is this guarantee that something crazy happening in the middle east (when does THAT ever happen :sarcasm:) means the world has to go to war. That idea itself is what's really insane.

[stillcool]

6. yeah...there's all that muckety-muck..

history of dastardly deeds...ties that bind.

[earcandle]

9. like these guys....

http://www.earcandleproductions.com/Chez_Poulet_Ragnarok.mov
(past the intro)

[napoleon_in_rags]

10. Hehe, hilarious. Maybe it is the ghosts of Ragnarök haunting us today.

Whatever it is, people sure seem thirsty for apocalypse.

[cosmicone]

4. Enough of the Israeli sadistic crybabies. n/t

[Idealism]

7. Serious, Iran will brush off the IDF like nothing. After that, you will see a world war.

[peacetalksforall]

8. The crowning blow to this world and the slimy crimes of monetary traitors -

monetary terrorists who have conducted a monetary coup is to help Israel bomb the hell out of Iran and expect to survive without us and as if we had the cents to pay for it.

How ridiculous everyone is.

Israel needs to grow up.

What kind of hubris is it called when you have a perfect nuclear capability thanks to asking and receiving from the U.S. (and using bribery against the U.S.?), but you don't want any other country to have it and won't believe them and not prove yourself?

What kind of hubris is it called when you turn down peace and have zilch desire to seek, arrange, and maintain peace?

What kind of hubris is it called if you trigger some action and then demand that the U.S. defend Israel?

We could very well be finished off if we did this.

Soon we'll hear the plan that is all about a quick Bosnian style bombing barrage.

I honor all the peacemakers within Israel and the U.S. - the ones who want others to have their rights and are against the expansionism and who were against the killing in Gaza.

[classysassy]

11. What

would happen if we had an Iranian in our state department all heck would break loose,but we have Dennis Ross and thats ok.?